Education
BY BRITTANY ANDERSON & CHLOE YOUNG
Lake Travis ISD delays opening of new high school
LISD considers open enrollment policy Leander ISD is considering opening enroll- ment to students living outside of the district as its enrollment growth slows. The details The district’s Long-Range Planning Com- mittee formed a subcommittee to determine what it might look like for LISD to enroll additional students. District officials provided an update on the subcommittee’s work at a Nov. 21 board of trustees meeting. The district would need to assess how open enrollment would impact its resources and staffing, including potential constraints on staff, and determine which campuses and grade levels could accept transfers based on their available space, said Mike Howard, LISD director of fine arts and administrative co-chair on the subcommittee.
Lake Travis ISD officials postponed the opening of the district’s second high school and eighth elementary school at a Nov. 20 board meeting as enrollment growth projections slow. What’s happening LTISD officials are now planning to open High School No. 2 off Hwy. 71 in the fall of 2028 instead of 2027, Superintendent Paul Norton said. Additionally, the opening of Elementary School No. 8—initially slated for 2026—will be delayed at least a year or “until our enrollment justifies the construction,” Norton said. The district had 11,010 students as of Oct. 25, which was 263 students less than the year prior, said Pam Sanchez, assistant superintendent for business services. Some context High School No. 2 was delayed to revise its design to accommodate 1,500 students instead
Revised timelines
Original plan Updated plan
High School No. 2
Opening fall 2027
Opening fall 2028
Possible opening fall 2027, dependent on enrollment SOURCE: LAKE TRAVIS ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Elementary School No. 8
Opening fall 2026
of the initial 2,000 expected, as Travis County purchased over 2,100 acres of land for conser- vation easements that were originally expected to become single-family homes, Population and Survey Analysts president Stacey Tepera said at a March 20 meeting. Across its elementary campuses, the district is seeing a decline in kindergarten enrollment in light of high housing costs and interest rates, Sanchez said.
Eanes ISD parents voice concerns on blended campus model proposal
$2 million, was first proposed as a cost-saving mea- sure to lessen EISD’s projected $6 million shortfall in 2025-26 during a Nov. 11 budget workshop. Parent concerns included safety, traffic and parking, classroom sizes, lunch periods, and overall campus capacity. Many also said there are “less disruptive” and “more equitable” options available, such as rezoning the entire district or pausing transfers.
Eanes ISD officials are evaluating cost-saving measures for the 2025-26 school year and beyond, including one option to potentially blend the Bar- ton Creek and Valley View elementary campuses. Diving in deeper Over 50 parents spoke out against the blend at the Nov. 19 board of trustees meeting. The potential blend, estimated to save the district
“It is so wrong and disheartening seeing this decision being driven by faulty assumptions with no real input from the staff or community.” LAUREN AMADOR, VALLEY VIEW PARENT
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LAKE TRAVIS - WESTLAKE EDITION
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